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A while back, cleaning your vinyl siding was often a laborious chore that involved buckets, ladders, plenty of scrubbing and, maybe, a few aching muscles. However, today we have a much safer, minimal hands-on approach which involves using a pressure washer to get rid of the layers of mold and dirt. But getting your hands on pressure cleaning equipment is only the beginning. Homeowners should stick to these five extra tips to transform their vinyl siding from dull to sparkling clean.

Use Approved solvents

The combination of soap and water forms a better cleaning solution compared to water alone. Pressure washers feature an injector mix suitable for combining cleaning solutions inside the jet stream. But don't use cleaning solutions that aren't pressure washer sanctioned. Such solutions, including bleach and ammonia, can be dangerous to the environment and may also damage the internal components of the washer machine such as hoses, pump, seals and wand.

Stroke, stroke

Apply the cleaning solution under low pressure using smooth, coinciding strokes. To avoid streaking, begin from the siding's bottom side as you work upwards. Pressure washing is akin to painting. So if you aimlessly spray everything, you're likely to neglect a spot.

Brush-up

Use a spinning or utility brush to slacken thick dirty layers. The brush basically snaps to the end section of the pressure washer wand. What's more, it functions as a foaming brush, spraying a soapy solution while you clean.

Allow some time before rinsing

It makes no sense at all to use a cleaning solution and not allow it enough time to work. Allow the cleaning solution to sit for almost ten minutes. However, don't wait for too long until it dries up, giving you a hard time when rinsing.

Rinse

If you begin rinsing while standing too close to the siding, you may end up damaging instead of cleaning the area. Clutch the wand several feet away from the siding while spraying. Don't spray directly at the vents, eaves or lighting fixtures. This is because high pressurized water can damage loose glass panes. Additionally, maintain the angle of the wand facing downwards so you do not spray up underneath the laps of parallel siding. This helps avoid the vinyl siding from crumbling under pressure. While rinsing, begin from the top as you go down to make sure the whole section is soap free.

Pressure washers are absolutely fun to use. What's more, they clean very fast and allow you more time to admire your work instead of actually performing it.

For more tips and options for a pressure washer, contact a company that supplies pressure cleaning equipment, like Southern Cross Cleaning (SA) Pty Ltd.